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Black privilege

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Original post by Hirsty97
Black privilege is the ability to voice your opinion on matter regarding race without worrying about being imputed as a racist, having your reputation besmirched and agenda misaligned and having your source of income attacked for having the impudence to deign to utter an opinion that doesn't conform with the ethos of the modern day hysterical left.


That is extreme political correctness. That's not black privilege, if you notice white people tend to do most vigilantism on our behalf in a lot of cases.

And at the end of the day, white people have the overall upper hand in society, just because we can speak freely about issues that concern us does not automatically allow us to stand in a favourable position in society.
Original post by Eva.Gregoria
That is extreme political correctness. That's not black privilege, if you notice white people tend to do most vigilantism on our behalf in a lot of cases.

And at the end of the day, white people have the overall upper hand in society, just because we can speak freely about issues that concern us does not automatically allow us to stand in a favourable position in society.


No, rich people have the upper hand in society. It is a complete farce to group a bloke from Cornwall raised by a single mother on the dole to a multi-millionaire banker who went to Eton.

It is entirely farcical to group all white people into some powerful group. Rich white people have the best start in life, and poor white people have the worst. To suggest great similarities between the Cornishman and the Etonian is simply wrong.
Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.
The point I was making above with Profesh is that poor white people have the worst start in life according to EHRC. It comes from poor black people been given focussed progressional support which poor white people simply do not have.

So the thing about council estates is not simply that white people can be poor but that white people who are poor are at more of a disadvantage than black people, and it is because of the colour of the white person's skin that he is at such a disadvantage. That is black privilege.


Do you have a link for evidence of this? Especially for the bolded.
Original post by Cubone-r
Neither does White privilege. Go tell that White homeless guy on the street how much better off he is than you because he is White.


Privilege is not an individual construct, it doesn't mean that every single person has access to wealth and riches. That homeless person you've mentioned still has the upper hand in society over a black guy or person of ethnic minority. Not through personal riches but through societal standing. The homeless white guy is still less likely than a rich black guy to be stopped and searched while driving despite the majority of the population being white. If this homeless guy decides to get a job, he wouldn't be instantly discriminated against on the basis of his name or his accent like has been proven in a few studies that happens to other ethnic minorities and black people for example.

Privilege doesn't mean "wealth". That's the wrong way to look at it. Although white people are far richer than black people on a whole, this obviously doesn't mean that every single white person is rich, that's conflating the argument. Privilege means societal advantages that some groups of people are able to enjoy that other groups of people are unable to enjoy.
Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.
No, rich people have the upper hand in society. It is a complete farce to group a bloke from Cornwall raised by a single mother on the dole to a multi-millionaire banker who went to Eton.

It is entirely farcical to group all white people into some powerful group. Rich white people have the best start in life, and poor white people have the worst. To suggest great similarities between the Cornishman and the Etonian is simply wrong.


Read my above post.
Original post by cherryred90s
You need to understand what is meant by unearned privilege. Being poor and white may put you at a disadvantage yes, but that's not what privilege is about. Privilege doesn't mean that you are exempt from being poor or homeless. It means that you can live your life without worrying about your colour. "White privilege, for the most part, is invisible to those who have it"
McIntosh's list of fifty privileges includes things like regularly being surrounded in everyday life and in media representations by people who look like you and having the ability to avoid those who don't, and not being institutionally discriminated on the basis of race.
Privilege also includes things like not having to explain to your child the harsh realities of systematic racism so that they do not fall victim to it, being able to be intelligent and well spoken without people being surprised, not having to live your life with the statistic of failing looming over your head, and nobody questioning if you were awarded that place (be it in a respected job or a university) based on your actual suitability and not because a quota has to be filled


I find this an absolute insult. I'm mixed-race and I never worry about the colour of my skin. I would never use any of those excuse that you have just listed as the reason as to why I might be disadvantaged. I was raised to be responsible for myself and told that if you work hard and have the skills, you will get to where you want to be. I'm not going to be blame some invisible structure as to why I am where I am, that's down to me.

Peggy McIntosh is a largely discredited feminist who makes people feel horrible for having white skin. No one takes her seriously anymore after her "list" has been torn apart and criticsed by many other scholars and commentators. Her list is based largely on her own experience, not anyone else's - it's hardly scientific and based in reality, now is it?

Just because you see someone of the same race as you in the media does not mean you identify with them, people of the same race are all different, some are rich, some are poor, some are liberal, some are conservative. So because a white person see someone of the same race as them on the TV does not mean they represent them or identify them. Let's not play identity politics here.

We have large amounts of popular "POC" musicians, actors, actresses, television presenters on our TVs. So the statement that there are no representations for anyone else is erroneous.

She also says there people of colour don't have the privilege of finding food that fit their culture. Last time I checked in all of the major cities there Asian food shops, African food shops etc.. and even in some of the mainstream supermarkets they have whole aisles dedicated to foreign foods.

You can see where I am going with this, right? With regards to the statistic of failing, that is down to the individual and suggesting that Black people can't succeed because of invisible structures in society is absolute insult to their abilities and successes.. check this out: http://i.imgur.com/ClJcZKa.jpg
Even though Black people are telling researchers that they do not feel any prevention in progressing in society in the modern day, they are still being construed as having a victim complex, you should actually talk to people of colour and get their opinions instead of speaking for them as most will say that where they are in life is down to their own choices.

Presenting an old and outdated argument that your A level sociology teacher probably presented to you is not good practice as it just has no basis in reality or in how actual POC really feel. This is clear and simple race baiting is the cause of why there is currently so much racial tension in the West.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Ellie2143
It's not possible for ethnic minorities to be racist to white people. But a black person can discriminate against a white person on the basis of colour, this is called colourism.


What? Are you out of your mind?

Denying that white people can be on the receiving end of racism literally proves it exists. All races and colours can be subject to racism, it's like you're implying that white people have to just take abuse because they're not a minority.
Original post by cherryred90s
Do you have a link for evidence of this? Especially for the bolded.


ECHR report is easily found. Here is the summary.

See para 143 of this Education Committee report. The basic issue is that black people generally live in city areas and in clusters, therefore the issue of black educational performance is more noticeable but white people live particularly in rural and coastal places where their struggle goes unnoticed. If you look at the wider ECHR report, you see that there is proportionally a lower representation of black people at RG unis, but this is attributable to the majority of black people living in cities which have great demand and newer universities established in order to meet that demand.
Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.
The point I was making above with Profesh is that poor white people have the worst start in life according to EHRC. It comes from poor black people been given focussed progressional support which poor white people simply do not have.

So the thing about council estates is not simply that white people can be poor but that white people who are poor are at more of a disadvantage than black people, and it is because of the colour of the white person's skin that he is at such a disadvantage. That is black privilege.


You are confusing yourself. Poor white people may be at the most disadvantage educationally but overall in society, they are still superior to a black man. That poor white child never has to even consider their colour when making any decisions or simply walking down the road, but black people despite how wealthy you may be are still subjected to increased racial profiling, assumption that riches must have ill gotten or even when applying for jobs, when both applicants have been equal. Studies were done where they sent in identical CVs with a typical "white" name and another typical "black" name and the latter ones were more likely to end up in the bin. Even a poor white person never has to worry that such a thing could happen, but black people no matter how wealthy always carry around negative connotations leading to discrimination.
Original post by Eva.Gregoria
Read my above post.


Excluding wealth from the equation is misguided. It's the only objective metre we have as wealth entails successful employment. If we abandon this, we are left with subjective anecdotal Well, I fear I might be instantly discriminated against by an employer.

I would posit that the only type of discrimination a black person might face is positive discrimination.
Original post by Notorious_B.I.G.
Excluding wealth from the equation is misguided. It's the only objective metre we have as wealth entails successful employment. If we abandon this, we are left with subjective anecdotal Well, I fear I might be instantly discriminated against by an employer.

I would posit that the only type of discrimination a black person might face is positive discrimination.


So you do not agree with the studies that found that CV's with typical black names are less likely to be called to interview? Or the fact that far more black people are stopped and searched in the country? Especially if you're black and driving a good car, you're assumed to have gotten it illegally until proven otherwise. Does that sound like positive discrimination to you?
Original post by Boredom101
At the end of the day if one person gets treated better than the other this can be classified as "privilege".
I think there's privileges for all races. It just depends on which country you are in.


THIS.
Original post by Eva.Gregoria
So you do not agree with the studies that found that CV's with typical black names are less likely to be called to interview? Or the fact that far more black people are stopped and searched in the country? Especially if you're black and driving a good car, you're assumed to have gotten it illegally until proven otherwise. Does that sound like positive discrimination to you?


The studies I have found, from a very quick Google, concern Arab-sounding names and potential Islamophobia.

Racial profiling is something different. I admit I have never been stopped and searched, but I don't live in an area of town with high criminality.
Original post by Durhamgirl96
What? Are you out of your mind?

Denying that white people can be on the receiving end of racism literally proves it exists. All races and colours can be subject to racism, it's like you're implying that white people have to just take abuse because they're not a minority.


when have you experienced racism for being white?
Original post by Eva.Gregoria
Privilege is not an individual construct, it doesn't mean that every single person has access to wealth and riches. That homeless person you've mentioned still has the upper hand in society over a black guy or person of ethnic minority. Not through personal riches but through societal standing. The homeless white guy is still less likely than a rich black guy to be stopped and searched while driving despite the majority of the population being white. If this homeless guy decides to get a job, he wouldn't be instantly discriminated against on the basis of his name or his accent like has been proven in a few studies that happens to other ethnic minorities and black people for example.

Privilege doesn't mean "wealth". That's the wrong way to look at it. Although white people are far richer than black people on a whole, this obviously doesn't mean that every single white person is rich, that's conflating the argument. Privilege means societal advantages that some groups of people are able to enjoy that other groups of people are unable to enjoy.


A study can never prove that something is true, it can only support the hypothesis. I can find a number of studies that suggest that Black, White, and Hispanic sounding names are actually treated the same in an employment setting. There is one described here, for example: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-bias-hiring-0504-biz-20160503-story.html

I entirely disagree with the notion of white privilege. As said previously, everyone has advantage over each other for different reasons in different contexts (it all balances out in the end). I am mixed race myself and I find what you say an absolute insult to my own abilities and skills, and a lot of other "ethnic minorities" feel the same. If I make it to a high position in society that is because I made the right choices in life and have the skill to be there. However, if I fail, that is because of me and my own capabilities, not because of some invisible privilege structure. I am not a victim.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by jennyhumphrey
when have you experienced racism for being white?


Well, I've seen others experience it. I don't have to experience it first hand, to know that it occurs, all I need is working eyes and ears. Next question.
Original post by Durhamgirl96
Well, I've seen others experience it. I don't have to experience it first hand, to know that it occurs, all I need is working eyes and ears. Next question.


give an example please
lol blah blah blah. It's Friday who gives a **** about this race crap. If Deborah wins #BBUK then we'll see :colone:
Original post by Cubone-r
A study can never prove that something is true, it can only support the hypothesis. I can find a number of studies that suggest that Black, White, and Hispanic sounding names are actually treated the same in an employment setting. There is one described here, for example: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-bias-hiring-0504-biz-20160503-story.html

I entirely disagree with the notion of white privilege. As said previously, everyone has advantage over each other for different reasons in different contexts (it all balances out in the end). I am mixed race myself and I find what you say an absolute insult to my own abilities and skills, and a lot of other "ethnic minorities" feel the same. If I make it to a high position in society that is because I made the right choices in life and have the skill to be there. However, if I fail, that is because of me and my own capabilities, not because of some invisible privilege structure. I am not a victim.


If you made it to a high position in society, that is DESPITE institutional racism that exists in society, whether you agree with it is irrelevant it doesn't make it any less true. You see yourself as a mixed race person, but the world sees you as someone who is part black and therefore inferior to a fully white person and you will notice that the vast majority of mixed people consider themselves black and not white for that reason. Barack Obama who is mixed race has always been classed as black. In the days of slavery, children of slave masters who raped slave women were always outcasts and therefore were second class citizens. You may be under the illusion that the world "doesn't see colour" or that institutional racism against blacks doesn't exist but it is clear as daylight to see.

What this thread has shown is that people are unable to separate individual lives from societal phenomena. You don't exist in a bubble and everything is interlinked, black peoples aren't protesting for lack of anything better to do. Until injustice is wiped out and the playing field is evened out then black people will continue to point out the injustices.
Original post by Cubone-r
I find this an absolute insult. I'm mixed-race and I never worry about the colour of my skin.

I'm speaking generally, obviously there will be exceptions. As a black persons living in a predominantly white country, there have certainly been times where I walk into a room being the only person of colour and worrying about whether I will be treated differently because of it.

I would never use any of those excuse that you have just listed as the reason as to why I might be disadvantaged.

At no point did I say people use it as an excuse. I was simply explaining what is meant by white privilege.


I was raised to be responsible for myself and told that if you work hard and have the skills, you will get to where you want to be.

So was I.

I'm not going to be blame some invisible structure as to why I am where I am, that's down to me.

It's not about blame, and my post didn't assign blame to anyone but you are naive if you think that race has no bearing on how an individual is perceived.
Peggy McIntosh is a largely discredited feminist who makes people feel horrible for having white skin.

Isn't she white?

No one takes her seriously anymore after her "list" has been torn apart and criticsed by many other scholars and commentators. Her list is based largely on her own experience, not anyone else's - it's hardly scientific and based in reality, now is it?

A lot of what she listed is based on reality. Why do you think that black excellence is celebrated so much?
Why is that if a POC commits a crime, their whole race is to blame? Just yesterday, I saw a thread on here about a teenager who was raped by two Asian men. People were quick to make it about race, concluding that Pakistanis are sexual predators. This even translates to black men being more racially profiled in shops and more likely to be stopped and searched because their race is statistically more likely to commit crime.
There's evidence to suggest that institutional racism exists. I imagine that if I were to have a black son, explaining and informing him of systematic racism and his likelihood of being discriminated against would have to become a part of parenting.

Just because you see someone of the same race as you in the media does not mean you identify with them, people of the same race are all different, some are rich, some are poor, some are liberal, some are conservative. So because a white person see someone of the same race as them on the TV does not mean they represent them or identify them. Let's not play identity politics here.

People tend to identify better with people who view life in a similar way to them. weren't there any groups or 'cliques' in your school and didn't they have something in common?
Why do we tend to be mostly attracted to people of the same race as us?

We have large amounts of popular "POC" musicians, actors, actresses, television presenters on our TVs. So the statement that there are no representations for anyone else is erroneous.

Nobody said that there are no ethnic representations, but in comparison, there are fewer positive representations and many negative representations e.g. The angry black woman, the agrressive criminal black man, the Asian sex gang etc.
She also says there people of colour don't have the privilege of finding food that fit their culture. Last time I checked in all of the major cities there Asian food shops, African food shops etc.. and even in some of the mainstream supermarkets they have whole aisles dedicated to foreign foods.

This is a fair point

You can see where I am going with this, right? With regards to the statistic of failing, that is down to the individual and suggesting that Black people can't succeed because of invisible structures in society is absolute insult to their abilities and successes.. check this out: http://i.imgur.com/ClJcZKa.jpg

I never suggested that black people cant succeed. We succeed all the time. I agree that the statistics are down to the individual, but that doesn't stop people from generalising.

Even though Black people are telling researchers that they do not feel any prevention in progressing in society in the modern day, they are still being construed as having a victim complex, you should actually talk to people of colour and get their opinions instead of speaking for them as most will say that where they are in life is down to their own choices.


Presenting an old and outdated argument that your A level sociology teacher probably presented to you is not good practice as it just has no basis in reality or in how actual POC really feel. This is clear and simple race baiting is the cause of why there is currently so much racial tension in the West.

How does explaining what is meant by white privilege translate to you as me speaking for black people?
(edited 6 years ago)

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